Page 48 of Dirty Gambit

Her attention remained stubbornly fixed on something through the windshield.

“Fine.”

He shoved open his door and threw himself out into the hot, moist air. His filthy clothes immediately began to cling to him, rubbing uncomfortably against skin and hair, but he ignored it the best he could and carefully began ripping open zippers and popping open buttons. Each one was done as quietly as he could manage with one eye on the sleeping baby. But Jessie remained lost in her dreams, giving him plenty of time to unearth the keys from the side pocket of the duffle and the gun from the bag of money. The latter was tucked into the back waistband of his pants. The hem of his shirt was pulled over top, plastering the cold metal against the sweaty flesh of his spine.

Jaxon shuddered but concealed it by shutting the car door and moving around the back towards Lena’s side. The cuff keys were freed from his trouser pockets before he opened her door and reached in to pull her out.

She tumbled into his arms, a tiny figure with stiff limbs and sore muscles. He clasped her to him, guilt a tight fist around his neck as he realized he should have put the cuffs on in front, especially during such a long drive. He hadn’t even considered how much it would hurt her the other way until she was pressing her choked whimper into his collarbone.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured into the side of her head. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“I’m fine,” she rasped, struggling to find her own balance.

Jaxon ignored the lie and gingerly undid the metal bracelets from her tiny wrists. He winced at the deep, red bands marring her skin and fought against smoothing a thumb over the wound.

“Can you walk?” At her nod, he released her slowly and took a step back. “Are you hungry?”

She squinted at the squat little station and diner combo with a deep deliberation furrowing a line between her eyes. Her small fingers rubbed lightly at the bruises around her wrists, a gesture that tugged at something in his chest, but she didn’t seem to even notice she was doing it.

“I can’t go in there,” she told him at last. “The post office will have my photo, and if they don’t, someone in that diner is bound to notice me.” Her gaze shifted away from the buildings to his face and clung. “Unless that’s your plan, to have the cops come get me here.”

She said it with an even tone as if it made no difference to her either way, but there was a glimmer deep in those unfathomable eyes that gave away just how terrified she was of that plan. Its vulnerability made him want to gather her back up and … and nothing. She was still a criminal. Whether or not she’d actually done what the news claimed, it didn’t change the fact that she was not the victim here. His parents were. He was. Jessie was. Lena was the one responsible for everything that happened. He had no reason to feel bad or guilty or want to protect her.

“You can stay in the car,” he told her at last, careful to take another step away from her and the weird spell she had on him. “But I’m taking Jessie in with me.”

He expected an argument, expected her to tell him to leave Jessie with her, but to his surprise, she simply nodded.

“I’ll wait here.”

Chapter Nine

LENA

She’d failed.

The realization was a hard pill to swallow, yet the longer she sat in the hot cabin of her beat-up car, the more evident it became that she had royally fucked up. Somehow, she had allowed herself to become distracted, to make a stupid and careless mistake that now found her cuffed to a damn car door like some idiot waiting to have her fate sealed by the very man she had kidnapped. The irony was painful, but it didn’t change the simple fact that she had bigger problems, a much more dangerous one, one that could mean more than simply her life. It meant Jessie’s, and Jaxon’s. That was how badly things had gone.

Travis knew about her, knew she had his money. The conclusion had come to her after Jaxon had overpowered her after it was too late. There was no other explanation as to why Travis would go to such great lengths to guarantee her capture. There were other ways he could have gone about it. He could have sent his men. He could have done the same thing, but only a robbery where people would still look for her, but marking her as a cop killer? That was another ball game entirely. That was a warning. That was ensuring that not a single law enforcement station in Canada stopped looking for her. He’d put her face nationwide. He was serious. He wanted his money back. But he didn’t know about Jessie. At least, there was no mention in the news that she might be traveling with a child. That gave her some hope.

Lena glanced at the blip of a town just beyond the next hill and pursed her lips. She drew in a breath and tugged on the metal bracelets keeping her contained. She hadn’t expected them to magically open, but it felt satisfying all the same.

Unlike her stupidity, Jaxon had made damn certain he cuffed her before leaving her behind. Yet, unlike her, he didn’t seem to realize every cuff came with two sets of keys and she’d only given him one.

Glancing to make certain he wasn’t already on his way, Lena twisted as far back in her seat as humanly possible without dislocating her arm and dragged Jessie’s diaper bag through the opening in the front seats and into her lap. From a hidden pocket within its many layers, she unearthed the second set.

In less than no time to get free, Lena started plan B. It killed her to have to do it, but there was no other option.

She pulled out the scraps of paper from the glove box and the pen with its jagged ends. The letter wouldn’t be neat or fully fleshed out, but she set to work writing out as much as she dared, just enough to give Jaxon a head start once she was gone. Maybe, if he knew who his enemy was, he’d be better equipped to protect the child. There was a lot she didn’t tell him, not to save herself, but him from knowing too much, a death sentence if anyone ever found out. It was a fine line to walk, but she hoped it was enough.

Finished, she rolled up the windows and securely locked the doors. She double-checked to make sure Jaxon had everything he would need to get Jessie home safe, including the letter she tucked away securely in the side pocket of the bag of money. She rounded to the trunk for her pack. The ratty patchwork of old clothing sewn together was the last thing Marie had made for Lena. Lena wasn’t sentimental, but it was the first and only thing she’d kept from her old life. Everything else, everything inside was new … to her. They were picked from the thrift store, but she couldn’t go back for her things, not once she’d had the money. Her old life was over.

Inside, she removed her backup wig she’d snagged from the buck store, something leftover from Halloween, a long, black number with bangs that made her appear Goth. It sat funny on her scalp and made her skin itch everywhere it touched, but it covered her hair and part of her face. She slipped on her spare sunglasses and slammed the trunk closed. The strap of her bag went over one shoulder and she peeked up towards the town for signs of Jaxon. Part of her expected to see his silhouette making its way back to her in the sweltering heat, but the town remained in its blissful slumber. A lucky turn, in her opinion. Fewer witnesses to pinpoint her path. She made it harder by slipping across the road and into the patch of forest on the other side. Then, she started walking, cutting fast through the thick shrubbery. She plunged in deep enough not to be seen, but stayed along the outskirts, keeping the town in sight. At one point, she had to circle a creek that seemingly appeared out of nowhere, bringing her right into the town before she could vanish back into the shadows. It was pure luck she never came across another soul. It was a beautiful day, but most people seemed to be busy inside or at work, which was fine with her.

She glanced back only once, wondering if Jaxon had returned to the car to find her gone. He would have by now. Unless something had gone wrong … she immediately pushed that thought aside. They were miles away from Travis and no one had seen her with them so cops couldn’t have been called. They were fine. She had to believe that.

As towns went, it was pathetic. She crossed the whole thing in under two hours. The perimeter greeted her with a giant sign urging her to visit again.

Unlikely,she thought miserably. One thumb hooked under the strap and jerked her bag higher. She sighed and tried not to scratch at her head. A thick pool of sweat had begun to collect at the nape of her neck. It trickled down her spine, dampening her dress. She wished she’d thought to bring water, but she hadn’t wanted to take any in case Jaxon needed it. From the moment she’d decided to abandon the plan, her only objective was keeping Travis away from Jessie, which meant leaving the girl with the best care Lena could think of, which was Jaxon, and Jaxon needed food and water until he got home. His health and well-being was Jessie’s health and wellbeing. Lena would find something soon enough.

---